How a change to net energy billing could cost a few Mainers tens of thousands
A ‘drafting error’ in a 2025 law could force dozens of residents to forfeit investments in community solar. Lawmakers are working on a fix.
March 3, 2026
Daniel Kool
Staff Writer
Gregory Anderson thought he’d done everything right.
In 2021, the Litchfield resident bought shares in a community solar development from ReVision Energy. With a one-time investment of about $16,000, he was able secure about 2.5 kilowatts, enough to cover nearly all of his household’s power needs. He figured with energy prices ever increasing, buying a lot of energy in bulk would save him money down the line while helping reduce his emissions.
In the years since, his family bought a plug-in hybrid car and switched from propane to heat pumps, driving up the household’s electricity usage. To keep pace, Anderson bought another share last year: about 7.5 kW for more than $25,000.
But a recent change to the state’s net energy billing rules could force Anderson to forfeit one of those shares — and all the energy savings it promised.
“Out of the blue, we get this letter from (Central Maine Power Co.) saying we could only take credits from one solar farm,” Anderson said on a phone call Monday.
The letter, which was received by many customers throughout the state, pointed to a new rule from the Maine Public Utilities Commission.
The rule was born from commissioners’ interpretation of a law passed last year that, among other things, required the commission to “prohibit participation in more than one net energy billing agreement” per residential utility account. Commissioners issued the rule in early February.
“You’re trying to do the right thing by going with alternative energy sources, and you’ve invested a lot of money in it,” Anderson said. “It feels kind of like a penalty.”
Continue reading at https://www.pressherald.com/2026/03/03/how-a-change-to-net-energy-b...
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Comment by Thinklike A. Mountain 3 hours ago
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GOP Hates MAGA and Trump – The Only President in History to Have Recess Appointments Blocked by His Own Party
https://joehoft.com/gop-hates-maga-trump-only-president-history-have/
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Comment by Dan McKay 4 hours ago
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Another cave to the solar developers. I wonder if our public advocate has figured what this will cost rate payers, as if she even cares.
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Investments have risks, especially when government is involved and even moreso when investing in a plot that is destined for failure. SUCKERS BORN EVERY DAY.
Maine as Third World Country:
CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power
Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.
Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT
******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********
(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/
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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law
Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future
"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."
https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/
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